Built from 1844-47 and opening to patients during 1848 in response to concerns for Welsh only speaking patients having to be treated in English hospitals as Wales didn?t have the facilities to accommodate them. A purpose built Victorian Asylum with additions and detached buildings. It was one of the most sophisticated and pioneering of the early Victorian asylums. The complex comprises;
1. Main Block (NPRN 96571)
2. The Chapel (NPRN 3013)
3. Gwynfryn Academic Unit and Wards (NPRN 3014)
4. Lodge and gatepiers (NPRN 3011)
5. Nurses Home (NPRN 407748)
6. Pennant Farm (NPRN 3012)
7. Pool Park (NPRN 27812)
The cost of building such an institute in agricultural North Wales was too prohibitive for one County alone to shoulder and so through collaboration with neighbouring Counties and affluent businessmen and landowners the creation of the `North Wales Counties of Caernarvonshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Merionethshire and Anglesey Asylum? which provided the communities of North Wales the care they needed.
During its long and noteworthy life many different practices were used here, such as Insulin Shock Treatment, Electro-Convulsive Treatment (ECT) and Pre-frontal Leucotomies or Lobotomies as they're better known.
The hospital was gradually closed down over a number of years and eventually put up for sale. Some interest in the property was displayed during 1996 which came to nothing. In 2001 thieves stripped the building of many of its original features which have ended up in architectural salvage yards before being sold off and lost forever. It was at this time that the clock above the main entrance was removed.
The buildings stand empty now suffering from neglect and being the target of a couple of arson attacks which have caused irreparable damage.
Recently Denbighshire County Council has agreed to Compulsory Purchase the building in order to halt its decline and hopefully open it up to re-development again.
D.Jones RCHAMW 20/08/2012
References:
Cadw Listed Buildings Database
Pamela Michael, 2003, Care and Treatment of the Mentally Ill in North Wales 1800-2000
Daily Post, 31 March 2001, How on earth did thieves manage to steal our clock?
Resources
DownloadTypeSourceDescription
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPlan (with photo key) of the Principal building at North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPhotographic schedule showing elevation F of the Main Range at the North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPhotographic schedule showing elevation A of the chapel at the North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPhotographic schedule showing elevation D of the Isolation area at the North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionSite plan of North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPhotographic schedule showing elevation C of the Mortuary at the North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPhotographic schedule showing elevation C of Principal Building 1 at the North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPhotographic schedule showing elevation B of Aled Ward at the North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPlan (with photo key) of Principal building 3 at North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPhotographic schedule showing elevation H of the Main Range at the North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPhotographic schedule showing elevation C of the Main Range at the North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionElevation D (with photo key) of the Main range at North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPlan (with photo key) of the chapel at North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPhotographic schedule showing elevation C of the garage at the North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPlan (with photo key) of the Mortuary Building at North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPhotographic schedule showing elevation D of the chapel at the North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionElevation A, C, E (with photo key) of the Main range at North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPhotographic schedule showing elevation A of the Nurses Home at the North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionElevation K (with photo key) of the Main range at North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
application/pdfERC - Emergency Recording CollectionPlan (with photo key) of Principal building 2 at North Wales Hospital, Denbigh prepared by Strutt and Parker, September 2018.
